Vietnam, Switzerland ties growing

Vietnam's Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pham Hai Bang said the Vietnam-Switzerland relationship has grown strongly in recent years.

He said senior leaders from both sides have met regularly and coordinated closely at international forums, especially within ASEAN, ASEM, and Francophone meet-ups.

Ambassador Bang said two-way trade over the past 5 years totaled nearly 8 billion USD. Switzerland is the third-largest European investor in Vietnam with investment totaling nearly 2 billion USD. In the 2017-2020 period, the Swiss Government committed 91 million USD in official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam. Bang said Swiss airline Edelweiss Air will open a direct route linking Zurich and Ho Chi Minh City this November, creating new opportunities for tourism and trade.

Ambassador Bang said Vietnam and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, are negotiating a free trade agreement. Once the agreement is signed, economic and trade collaboration between Vietnam and Switzerland, as well as other EFTA members, is expected to expand strongly, he said.